Multi-Compartment Snack Storage and Dispensing Appliance

ABSTRACT

A food and beverage Appliance enables storage and consumption of a food and beverage meal, such as cereal and milk, in a portable form factor allowing consumption of the meal while in motion or during or after travel. The Appliance stores the food and beverage separately, and dispenses the food and beverage separately and non-simultaneously to preserve the crispiness and freshness, and to allow the user to control the size of each portion dispensed. The Appliance prevents leakage of the beverage out it its compartment, whether during filling, storage, traveling, or dispensing, to prevent getting the food soggy prior to dispensing and to prevent messes. The Appliance enables a revolution in healthy snacking and quick and easy mobile meals. Features make the Appliance either reusable or disposable. It also can create a new revenue category for takeout restaurants, and ideal for pre-packaged retail applications.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to provisional patent application62/790,466. Claims directed to a multi-compartment snack and storagedispensing appliance have earlier been issued to the present assignee inU.S. Pat. No. 10,421,595, necessitating aspects of the instant patentapplication and any issued patents thereto, to be subject to a terminaldisclaimer where required.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the field of food and beverage containers anddispensers. In particular the invention describes a container used tostore a solid food and beverage separately, and used to dispense bothseparately during consumption. A favorite and healthy meal in manycultures is cereal with milk, frequently consumed for breakfast, andalso consumed as a snack throughout the day. The popularity is highestwith children, but also with adults because of the well documentedhealth benefits. When the milk and cereal are mixed together, it must beconsumed without delay for a fresh affect, otherwise the cereal becomessoggy and the meal loses its appeal. The popularity of the snack hascaused people to devise ways to have the snack away from the home.Containers described in the prior art attempt to mix the milk and cerealtogether during the act of dispensing or prior to dispensing, or arecomplex to use, or require two hand operation to dispense. None of theseprior art products have been successfully commercialized because ofdisadvantages such as the cereal becoming soggy from the milk, inabilityto mix in proper proportions, too complicated to use, and inconvenient,messy spills, or un-safe dispensing. Lifestyles around the world areevolving to be become (1) healthier, and (2) more on-the-go, so there isa huge need for a way to package a cereal meal to meet these evolvinglifestyles, and this is a need that has not yet been met.

The mobile snack Appliance described in this invention solves the unmetneed for portable storage and on-the-go consumption of a cereal snackwhile maintaining its freshness and crispiness. The inventionspecifically accomplishes the following: (1) allows mess-free and safeconsumption of the snack during travel and movement, (2) allows storageof the snack for consumption later in the day, (3) prevents the cerealfrom getting soggy and preserves the freshness and crispiness afterplacement in the Appliance until the time of consumption, (4) allowsmixing of the milk and cereal in the exact proportions desired by theconsumer, (5) is easy and uncomplicated to use requiring only one-handoperation when dispensing, and (6) maximizes the convenience. As will beexplained, the Appliance in this invention is the only Appliance knownthat can accomplish these much needed functional attributes.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The Appliance in this invention has two separate compartments separatedby a wall, in which the cereal and milk are stored in the separatedcompartments to prevent mixing and in which the cereal and milk aredispensed separately and non-simultaneously without mixing. The beveragecompartment of the Appliance is completely sealed by unique functionalelements in order to store, transport and dispense the snack without (1)allowing the milk to mix with the cereal which would ruin the snack, andwithout (2) spillage of milk out of the Appliance which would dirtyone's belongings and clothing. Additionally the Appliance allows for (3)easy filling of the milk and cereal without accidental mixing whichwould ruin the snack, and for (4) easy one hand operation duringdispensing and consumption so that the user does not need to concentrateon the task, for example as simple as drinking bottled water, andwithout blocking the user's vision when in the act of dispensing andusing. Even those with visual impairment can enjoy a meal easily byusing this Appliance. Unlike other Appliances for cereal snacks whichdispense the cereal and milk together, the cereal and milk are dispensedseparately and non-simultaneously, thereby maintaining the separation ofthe two until in the mouth of the user, and therefore importantlymaintaining freshness and crispness for as long as desired. When usingthe invention, the user will dispense a desired portion of fresh crispcereal into their mouth, then sip a desired amount of fresh, cold milkto mix with the cereal, then chew as required and swallow, and thenrepeat. The user can dispense the portions in the exact sizes and ratiosdesired. The experience maximizes the freshness of the snack and theuser experiences a maximally fresh effect of the snack. When dispensinga portion of cereal, the Appliance is tilted to pour out the portion ofthe cereal, however, the milk will not leak when tilted so there is nomess whatsoever. When the milk is dispensed, it is done so with aself-sealing Straw, so the Appliance can be upright without tilting, sothat the user doesn't have to perform a tricky or inconvenient maneuverwith the Appliance when a portion of cereal is already in his or hermouth. The Straw includes a valve so that milk can only exit when theuser actuates the valve. Novel and inventive functional elements, whichwill be described in the subsequent specification, accomplish the aboveunique functionality.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 describes a hidden line front view of an Appliance of theinvention with a nested container configuration.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the Appliance shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the Appliance shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 shows a hidden line front view of an Appliance of the inventionthat is extra strong and reusable.

FIG. 5 shows an isometric view of an Appliance of the invention with araised wall between the two compartments that dips slightly at thecorners and reduces gradually in height from the corner of the wall tothe lowest point of the sealing rim of the milk compartment.

FIG. 6 shows an isometric view of an Appliance of the invention with araised wall between the two compartments, from corner to corner, andreduces gradually in height from the corner of the wall to the lowestpoint of the sealing rim of the milk compartment.

FIG. 7 shows an isometric view of an Appliance of the invention withside-by-side folded and sealed box construction.

FIG. 8 shows a cross section view of an alternative to the boxconstruction of FIG. 5 in which a two-compartment box is fabricated fromone sheet of laminated paper.

FIG. 9 shows an isometric view of an Appliance of the invention with afolded and sealed box construction with an inner bag.

FIG. 10 shows an isometric view of an Appliance of the invention that isa collapse-able, fillable two-compartment bag construction.

FIGS. 11A and 11B is a hidden line view of the sip valve in Detail A ofFIG. 3 when the sip valve is in its resting closed state; FIG. 8A a sideview and FIG. 8B a front view.

FIGS. 11C and 11D is a hidden line view of the sip valve in Detail A ofFIG. 3 when the sip valve is in its compressed open state; FIG. 8A aside view and FIG. 8B a front view.

FIG. 12 shows a hidden line front view of an Appliance of the inventionwith an extra strong lid that is reusable, and a disposable bottom.

FIG. 13 shows a front hidden line view of an alternative bottom cupportion of the Appliance in FIG. 4, in which bayonet connector featureis integral to the cup inner skin.

FIG. 14 shows a front hidden line view of an Appliance alternative tothat shown in FIG. 4 in which the Lid attaches to the cup with sealinggaskets that seal inside the two compartments.

FIGS. 15a-15f show cross sections of alternative constructions of thebottom cup of the Appliance at section B-B of FIG. 4.

FIG. 16 shows a front cross-sectional view of an alternative Appliancewith a double wall construction bottom and a snap attachment of a lid.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Described here are inventive features and functional elements of a snackdispensing Appliance, accomplishing the functional benefits, advantagesand performance described. FIG. 1 describes a hidden line front view ofan embodiment of the invention, in which the Appliance 1 comprises anouter cup 3, and an inner cup 5 that is placed inside the outer cup.Both cups are stackable; cups can be nested together for shipping andstorage, in order occupy a small amount of space for a large quantity ofcups used. Now, if not configured correctly, the inner and outer cuparrangement will not work correctly. For example, the inner cup willmove around in the outer cup, the movement enough such that it will leadto leaking of the inner cup. Or cereal can be caught in the insidecorners where the inner cup meets the inside wall of the outer cups. So,in order to make sure this configuration does work correctly, someunique elements are required. First, and better shown in FIG. 2 which isa top view of FIG. 1, the shape of the inner cup is generallysemi-circular with a non-circular section 18, and a circular portion 17.The non-circular section meets with the circular section at at least onecorner 19. The corner prevents the formation of voids or nooks betweenthe inner and outer cup where that space is either wasted because cerealcannot occupy that space, or where that space traps the cereal becauseit gets wedged into that area. The corner is rounded so that a matchingrounded corner on the lid 4 can be attached to the inner cup, and sealat that corner. Secondly, when the inner cup and inner cup lid 4 areplaced inside the outer cup, and subsequently the outer cup lid 2 isattached, the bottom of the outer cup lid is very close to or eventouches or presses down on the top of the inner cup lid. This willprevent the inner cup from moving around in the outer cup, and keep theinner cup lid connected with a seal to the inner cup, to preventleakage. Third, to further help secure the inner cup within the outercup, the outer cup has a step 8 along its side forming a shelf on theinside of the outer cup, and the inner cup has a matching step 9 in its'side which sits on top of the outer cup step shelf. The inner cup andouter cups are dimensioned so that the outside bottom of the inner cupis very close to the inside bottom of the outer cup, and preferablytouching, and that the step of the inner cup rests on the step shelf ofthe outer cup, and that the bottom surface of the outer cup lid pressesdown on the top surface of the inner cup lid. Fourth, the angle of thecircular section of the inner cup 17 is not less than 180 degrees, andthe outside diameter of the inner cup corners 19 hug the inside diameterof the outer cup, which prevents the inner cup from moving away from thewall of the outer cup, and helps keep the inner cup in place rather thanmoving within the outer cup. These elements described above creates thefeeling that once put together, the two cups act as though they were onesingle cup.

To keep the lids firmly attached to the cups, so that once assembled theassembly remains stable, the inner cup has a lip 7 on the outside of itstop which is substantially rigid. The inner cup lid has a curved area orpocket 16 that snaps over the inner cup lip to secure the lid onto theinner cup. Likewise, the outer cup has a substantially rigid lip at theoutside of its top, and the outer cup's lid has a curved area or pocket15 that snaps securely in place over that lip.

Now referring to the additional features of this embodiment, the innercup lid has a boss 13, and the outer cup lid has a boss 12. In thecenter area of the two bosses are through holes or slits, or scores inthe lid material, through which the straw 10 is inserted. A feature inthe cups and/or lids will help align the two bosses so the straw can beinserted easily. The alignment feature may be a rib, a peg, a detent, anon-circular portion, or other features. Optionally, the two bosses canbe located in the center of the outer cup lid and the centroid of theinner cup lid where it aligns with the center of the outer cup lids, tomake alignment of the two bosses automatic. The diameter of the straw 10hugs the inner diameter of the bosses, this arrangement helping to sealalong the bosses and prevent leaks between the straw and the lids, andpreventing milk from leaking out of the inner cup into the cerealcompartment or out of the cup assembly. The outer cup lid includes apreformed spout 14, typically raised, used to help channel the cerealinto the mouth during dispensing. The included straw includes a pinchvalve 11 to make it a sip valve. FIG. 3 shows the Appliance of FIGS. 1and 2 in an exploded view to make the individual features clearer. TheAppliance is used as follows: the inner cup is filled with milk, and thelid snapped on, then the inner cup and lid is placed inside the outercup. Cereal is poured into the remaining open space in the outer cup,and the outer cup lid snapped on. Then the straw is inserted, and thecereal snack or meal is now ready to consume. The materials are highlyrecycle-able, or compostable. For example, the cups can be fabricatedfrom paper or vegetable oil-based plastic. The lids can be formed frompolyethylene or a vegetable oil-based plastic. This particular Applianceis ideally suited for use at fast-food restaurants, where the componentsof the Appliance can be stacked to occupy only a small footprint, andthe ingredients are delivered to the business in bulk quantityfrequently, and the Appliance is filled to order, with multiple choicesof cereal and milk available to the consumer. Because consumption isintended to be soon after purchase at this point of sale, the insulationproperties of the Appliance are not critical—the meal will be consumedwhile the contents are at their ideal temperatures. However,alternatively, this highly disposable Appliance can include someinsulation features, such as double wall cup construction, sleevesaround the outside of the cup, or super-cooling the ingredients prior toselling. There can also be a pocket shaped into one of the inner orouter cups where ice can be provided, to keep the snack cool for aperiod of time, even in very hot summer temperatures. The cups of thisAppliance may be fabricated by blow molding, thermoforming or injectionmolding, or dip molding. The lids of this Appliance may be fabricated bythermoforming, hot stamping or die-cutting, or injection molding.

Now referring to FIG. 4 an embodiment of the invention is described inwhich the Appliance 20 may be an extra strong design that can withstandrepeated use, harsh temperature conditions, and physical misuse andabuse, over a long period of time, without damage or degradation ofperformance. The bottom 22 is of two-piece construction; an outer skin23 made of stainless steel or other metal or special plastic with lowheat transfer properties, and an inner skin 24 typically made ofplastic, and a space between the inner and other skin. The between spaceand double wall construction provides excellent thermal insulation, sothat a cold beverage inside will remain cold for hours. The space can bepresent on the bottom between the outside surface of the inner skin andthe inside surface of the outer skin with the use of a bump 40protruding from the outside bottom of the inner skin, in order to makesure the bottom is properly thermally insulated from the outsideenvironment. The Lid 21 is made of high-performance plastic, and itselfcomprises two primary pieces; an upper piece 25, and a rotatable lockingring 26 rotate-ably affixed to the upper piece, for example with a ribgroove attachment 35, 36, so that the ring can rotate relative to theupper piece. The locking ring is used to securely and remove-ably affixthe lid to the bottom. This is done by sliding the bayonet slot 27 ofthe locking ring downward over the bayonet peg 28 protruding out fromthe side of the bottom 22, and then rotating the ring and slot so thatthe peg pulls the lid down tight onto the bottom, creating somecompression of a sealing gasket 33 that is disposed on the bottom insideof the Lid, which will be further described later. Since the lockingring is rotatable without rotating the upper piece of the lid, thealignment of the sealing gasket in the lid to the sealing features ofthe bottom, remains intact. The bayonet peg is ideally part of thehigh-performance plastic inner skin, so the feature can be easilymolded. This therefore requires that the top of the inner skin have acollar that wraps over and around the top of the outer skin, and downthe other skin a short distance. The peg may be a protrusion from thiscollar. While a bayonet connection is shown, other connection mechanismscan be used. A snug fit between the lid and bottom can be used. Or asnap ring and groove on the bottom and lid can be used.

The inner skin also includes a wall 29, creating two compartments withinthe inner skin, one for milk 31 and one for cereal 30. The top of thewall 32 extends above the top of the rest of the rim 34 of the bottompiece, so as to create a barrier to prevent milk from inadvertentlyspilling into the cereal compartment during filling. The top of the wall32 blends with the rest of the rim 34 of the top of the milk compartmentwith a ramp 33, devoid of sharp or abrupt height changes or corners ortight curves which would be difficult to seal, thereby defining a rim ofthe milk compartment with a relatively flat perimeter, of varied height,but devoid of difficult to seal spots. The lid comprises a matchinggroove that matches with the rim encircling the milk compartment rim,and within that groove may be a compressible sealing gasket 33. When thelid is attached to the bottom, the rim encircling the milk compartmentcompresses the sealing gasket, and the milk compartment thereforebecomes leak free.

In addition to the features already mentioned, the Appliance 20 mayinclude a cereal dispensing spout 37, typically raised, a self-sealingsip valve 39, a straw 38 attachable to the sip valve, and a bar code 40.The bar code makes the use of the Appliance user friendly and efficientfor all stakeholders. This Appliance is intended to be used at caféstyle restaurants. The customer returns with their cleaned and emptyAppliance, and using the bar code, orders their choice of cereal andmilk, and payment can be made through an account. Inventory, sales andutilization data can be tracked electronically through this bar-codedpurchase. Frequent user bonus points can be generated and discountsprovided. Customer information can be used for other mercantilepurposes.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are isometric views of the top of the bottom portion ofthe Appliance, showing alternative embodiments from FIG. 4. In FIG. 5 anAppliance 22′ has a milk compartment sealing rim 34′ that has a top ofthe raised wall 32′ that is generally planar from corner to corner, andtransitions to the lowest part of the rim with a gradual ramp 33′. InFIG. 6, the Appliance 22″ has a milk compartment sealing rim 34″ thathas a top 32″ that reduces in height from the highest point with agradual ramp at the two corners where the non-circular section meets thecircular section, and transitions to the lowest part of the rim 34″ witha gradual ramp 33″ starting at the corners, to the lowest point of therim encircling the milk compartment.

In FIG. 7, an isometric view of an additional embodiment of theinvention is shown. In this embodiment an Appliance 50 is shown that iscomprised of two box-shaped containers 51 and 52 fabricated from paper,at least one of which has an inner surface that is lined or laminatedwith foil or water proof material or substance. The two box-shapedcontainers are joined together by adhesive or welding to present theAppliance as a single item to the end user, with one box containingcereal, or a dry snack, and the other box containing milk or otherbeverage. The cereal container includes a spout 54 protruding from thecontainer that is connected to a hole that is stamped in the containerbefore folding, and with a seal secured in place with a skirt 55 that isglued or welded in place. A removable cap 53 is provided to close thespout, which is preferably raised. The milk container includes a skirt57 glued or welded to a hole stamped in the container before folding.The skirt includes a hole the size of the straw, and may include a boss56 around the hole. A foil or film 58 may be attached, glued or weldedto cover the hole, which may either be removable to expose the hole, orscored for easy perforation by the straw. The straw 59 is pressedthrough the hole in the film, or through the hole exposed by removingthe film, by the user immediately prior to consumption of the meal, andthe boss if included hugs the outside of the straw to contribute to aleak-free straw attachment. This embodiment is ideal for a prepackagedsnack or meal, sold in food stores or schools.

Alternatively, the two compartments can be fabricated from a singlesheet of multilayer laminated paper, such as shown in FIG. 8. In FIG. 8,a single sheet of laminated paper is used to fabricate a two-compartmentbox 65. The laminated paper comprises a tough outer layer 67 and awater-proof inner layer 68, and folded as shown to create twocompartments that are isolated from each other. Weld or glue areas 69keep the folded shape in-tact. While the outer material shown in FIGS. 7and 8 is typically a paper it may be other materials. The inner layer istypically a foil type material, however could be a plastic material, orwax-lined paper. Alternatively to the laminated multi-layer paperconstruction, the two compartment box may be fabricated with a singlesheet of plastic, which is folded and welded as required. Alsooptionally, the two compartment box may be fabricated from molding apaper pulp material. Also optionally, the two compartment box may befabricated by blow molding a piece of plastic.

In FIG. 9, an alternative embodiment to that shown in FIG. 7 is shown,in which the Appliance 70 may be a single box 71, and a bag 72 may beassembled into the inside of the box either before the foldingfabrication process or after by pressing the bag through the holestamped into the box prior to folding. The bag may be attached to thebox with a flange 73 and glued or welded in place to form a seal. Thebag is suited for the beverage part of the snack, and the remainder ofthe space inside the box is suited for the solid food part of the snack.

FIG. 10 is an isometric view of an alternate embodiment in which theAppliance 80 may be an expandable and collapse-able bag 81, with a wall82 inside the bag separating it into two compartments. The bag may beformed by blow molding, or by a sheet of material that is cut, formedand welded at a seem 83 into a two-compartment bag. This version of theinvention is especially useful for travel situations, like hiking, ortraveling on a plane, because the Appliance takes up little space whennot in use, and also takes up little space in the trash when it isdisposed of. The bag material is ideally a compostable material such asa vegetable-based plastic, but can also be a recyclable plastic.

FIGS. 11A-11D show hidden line views of the sip valve 11 of Detail A inFIG. 3. A pinched area 92 is preformed into the sip valve end section 91to create a seal. FIG. 11B shows a front view of the pinched section ofthe sip valve, showing the inner walls 93 of the pinch valve touching toform a closure inside the straw, and FIG. 11A, shows the side viewshowing the wider flattened area of the pinched closure area. FIG. 11Cshows the same view of FIG. 11A but with the pinched area 92′ squeezedinward with a force 95 generated by the user, which pops open thepinched area 92′ with a force 94 as seen in FIG. 11D. The pinch valvecan be formed into the straw 10 itself, or can be a separate pieceattached to the straw.

Now referring to FIG. 12, another embodiment of the invention is shownin which an Appliance 100 has a reusable lid 101 that is designed toreceive a disposable bottom cup 112. This embodiment is an alternativeto the embodiment shown in FIG. 4. The reusable lid includes a raisedspout 108, self-sealing sip valve 102 attached with a seal to a throughhole in the lid, a top piece 103, a rotate-able locking ring 104rotate-ably attached to the top piece for example with a channel andgroove arrangement, a bar code 109 for e-commerce functions, a sealinggasket groove 105, and sealing gasket 106, and a bayonet connectorfeature 110. The disposable bottom cup includes a cereal compartment113, a milk compartment 118, a wall 114 separating the cereal and milkcompartment, with a top of the wall 116 elevating above the top of thecereal compartment, a gradual ramp 117 devoid of sharp angles or radiitransitioning the milk compartment top rim from the top of the wall 116to the lowest point of the milk compartment rim, and a straw 114attachable with a seal to the sip valve, and a bayonet connector feature111 for connection to the lid bayonet connector feature 110. To use thisappliance, the bottom is filled, for example by a merchant at the pointof sale, and provided to the purchaser across the counter. The purchaserattaches their reusable lid to the filled bottom, and inserts the straw,step (1); presses the lid down onto the bottom, step (2); then twiststhe locking ring to secure the lid and bottom together with a seal, step(3). While a ring and bayonet style connection is shown, otherconnections can be used, such as a tight press fit between the Lid andBottom, a snap ring and groove, or other connections.

FIG. 13 describes an alternative embodiment of the bottom cup of theinvention shown in FIG. 4. The bottom cup 151 has an outer skin 152, aninner skin 153, a wall 154 separating the cup into two compartments, atop portion of the wall 155, and a disk 158 at the bottom of the innerskin 153. A space may exist between the outer skin 152 and the innerskin 153, which may help thermal insulation. The space may be vacuumsealed to enhance the thermal insulation. Preferably the outer skin isconstructed of a material with good mechanical properties to withstandrepeated use. It may be made of a metal like stainless steel, or ahigh-performance plastic. The inner skin is preferably ahigh-performance plastic, and may wrap around the top of the outer skinwith a lip 159. The outer skin has a slot 157 and the inner skin has anintegral peg 156 as part of the connector to fasten the Lid to thebottom cup. This embodiment facilitates the functional elements requiredwhile making the fabrication and assembly process efficient.

Referring to FIG. 14, an alternative to the Appliance of FIG. 4 isshown. In this case the Appliance has a Lid 172, and a Bottom Cup 171.The bottom cup has a dry snack compartment 174 and a beveragecompartment 175 separated by a wall 184, and a portion of the wall beinga raised portion 173. In this embodiment the Bottom Cup may have twoskins, an outer skin 182 and an inner skin 183 which may wrap around thetop rim of the inner skin forming a lip 186. The two skins may be sealedat the bottom with a cap 185. The wall 184 may be integral to the innerskin 183, and the outer skin 182 may be a separate piece, joined withthe inner skin at the lip 186 and cap 185. The Lid 172 in thisembodiment seals with the bottom cup with seals 176 and 177 that seal onthe inside of the dry snack compartment and the inside of the beveragecompartment respectively, by inserting the lid onto and into the cupwith a push, snap or interference fit. The dry snack seal 176 sealsaround the inside of the top of the dry snack compartment, and thebeverage seal 177 seals around the inside of the top of the beveragecompartment. The beverage seal 177 may have more interference than thedry food compartment seal 176, since the beverage seal must be a fluidicseal, and the food compartment seal need not be a fluidic seal and canbe a seal with a lighter amount of sealing force. The Lid also mayinclude a raised spout to dispense the dry snack once the Lid is engagedwith the Bottom Cup, and may include a port 179 to which a straw orvalve is engageable to withdraw the beverage from the beveragecompartment.

FIGS. 15A-15F show optional constructions of the embodiment shown inFIG. 4, at Section B-B, showing the wall of the Bottom Cup. In each casethe embodiments have a wall 193 separating the cup into twocompartments, a dry snack compartment 191 and a beverage compartment192. In FIG. 15A, the cup 190 a has an outer skin 194 and inner skin 196within the outer skin 194 that completely encompasses the inside of theouter skin. A wall 193 is integral to the inner skin, and there may be aspace 199 in between the inner skin 196 and outer skin 194. The bottomcup of FIG. 15A may also be represented in a front hidden line view inFIG. 13 and in front view cross section in FIG. 14. In FIG. 15B the cup190 b has an outer skin 194 which has a wall 193 integral to the outerskin 194. An inner skin 196 is disposed beverage compartment 192, andthere may be a space between the outer skin 194 and the inner skin 196.In FIG. 15C the cup 190 c has double skin inner cup within a double skinouter cup with a space 199 between the two cups. The inner cup has anouter and inner skin 197 and 196, with a space between 200. The outercup has an outer and inner skin 194 and 195 with a space between 198. Awall 193 is integral to the inner cup outer skin and inner skin 197 and196. FIG. 15D has a bottom cup 190 d with an outer double skin with anouter skin 194 and inner skin 195 with a space between 198. Within theinner skin 195 there may be an inner cup with a skin 196, and a space199 between the inner skin 195 and the inner cup skin 196. A wall 193 isintegral to the inner skin 196 which separates the cup 190 d into twocompartments 191 and 192. FIG. 15E has a bottom cup 190 e with an outercup skin 194, and an inner cup within the outer skin 194, where theinner cup has a double skin with an outer skin 196 and an inner skin197, and a space 199 between the outer skin 194 and inner cup outer skin196, and a second space 200 between the inner cup outer skin 196 andinner skin 197. A double wall 193 is integral to the inner cup outerskin and inner skin 196 and 197. In FIG. 15F the bottom cup 190 f has anouter skin 194, and an inner skin 196 within the outer skin, where theinner skin encompasses only a portion of the inside of the cup. The wall193 is integral to the inner skin 196 and there may be a space 199between the outer and inner skin. The materials of the various skinsdescribed in FIGS. 15A-15F may be different combinations of plastic ormetal or paper or vegetable-based material.

FIG. 16 shows a front view cross-section an alternative embodiment ofthe Appliance. The bottom cup 220 of the Appliance, which may be alsorepresented in top view cross-section in FIGS. 15A, 15C and 15D,typically may be a metal piece that has an outer skin 221 that is formedwith a bend or fold at the top to create a top lip 224, and creating aninner skin 222. The double skin is capped off at the bottom with a plug223 which may be metal or plastic. This construction may be vacuumsealed such that the space between the outer and inner skin 221 and 222has the air drawn out of the space before sealing the cap 223 to theinner and outer skins. A wall 225 separates the cup into twocompartments, one for a dry snack and one for a beverage. The wall mayhave a raised section 226 that rises above the rim of the top of thecup, and the top of the raised section may merge with the top rim with aramp 227. Near the Lip 224 may be a snap ring 228 on the outside of thecup, at least partially encircling the outside of the cup. The Lid 229may be adapted to connect securely to the Bottom 220, by the use of asnap groove 230 which engages with the snap ring 228, typically with aninterference fit. The Lid side wall may be able to flex over the snapring with the help of a flex slot 233. The Lid has a sealing gasket 231in a sealing gasket groove 232. To help remove the Lid from its secureconnection to the Bottom, a lift tab 234 may be provided which is pushedup on by the user's finger. As shown in other embodiments, the Lid hasthe other requisite features of the Appliance, such as the dry snackdispensing spout 235.

Also contemplated in the invention are new and novel business methods orprocesses facilitated by the device. In a first business model, theAppliance is sold or given to the customer through retail, and becausethe customer then owns the Appliance, the customer will repeat the useof the Appliance and consume and purchase more cereal (or other drysnack). In a second business model, the Appliance may be availablethrough café style restaurants, where the customer can bring theAppliance to the café repeatedly to purchase a meal to fill theAppliance. In this case the Appliance may include a unique bar code orsimilar digital code to facilitate digital commerce related to theindividual customer, café, and supply chain, to help manage, optimizeand expand the commerce involved. The expanded commerce involved mayinclude collateral functions, such as trending, tracking, advertising,logistics, content marketing, diet and health data, micro and macrogeographic data, and other functions. In a third business model, theAppliance is sold through fast food style restaurants, where thecustomer selects the desired ingredients and the Appliance is filled atthe point of sale with the ordered ingredients by the restaurant worker.In this case the Appliance is highly disposable and may be eco-friendlydisposable. In a fourth business model, the Appliance is pre-filled andmade available in locations where food is sold or provided such as, butnot limited to, grocery stores, cafeterias, schools, and transit venues.In this case the Appliance may be also highly disposable and may beeco-friendly disposable. In some of the above business models, thebeverage may be provided in dry powder form, in which case water may beadded to convert the power to a drink, such as adding cold water to drymilk powder, or adding cold water to dry juice powder.

It should be noted that the Appliance can be used for other solid foodsand beverages besides cereal and milk. For example, dried fruits andnuts or dry trail mix can be placed in the solid compartment, and juicein the liquid compartment. Typically, the solid food, whether cereal orsome other food, is in pieces with a maximum dimension of ½″ to ¾″.Larger food pieces can also be used by simply breaking into smallerpieces prior to placing into the Appliance. The Appliance can be usedfor a blended beverage such as a “smoothie”, a milk shake or a proteinshake, along-side a solid snack, such as trail mix, nuts, dried fruits,dried berries, cereal or granola. The beverage compartment of theAppliance when used for smoothies is typically larger than the dry snackcompartment, however, the dry snack spout and spout door still fitwithin the dry snack compartment due to an overall larger diameter thatis typically used for this particular application. In an optionalembodiment the beverage can be served in a disposable paper or plasticcontainer that matches the beverage compartment of the Appliance, andthe dry solid snack can be served in a pre-packaged plastic bag,disposable cup, or a container that matches the dry food side of theAppliance. The user then places the beverage container into the beverageside, and transfers or places the dry snack into the food side of theAppliance Bottom, then attaches the Lid with Straw and Valve. Optionallythe user can serve themselves at a self-serve dry food bar and a blendedbeverage dispenser, either with or without the plastic container and bagor cup. This embodiment is useful for deployment through take-outrestaurants such as a juice shop, coffee shop or health food shop. Theshop for example may sell the reusable Appliance which the customerbrings back to the shop each time they return, and the shop will thensell the consumable meal when the customer returns. The shop baristaneed not touch the customer's previously purchased Appliance to maintainthe shop's hygiene and cleanliness. In the case of this embodiment, thestraw closure mechanism may be the mechanism shown in Figure. Or, theSip Valve may have larger dimensions to accommodate the relatively thickbeverage, typically 5/16″ to ⅜″ effective inner diameter and with a slit99 of about ¼″ long in the slit's maximum dimension. For adult use, theAppliance in this embodiment typically has a serving size of 28 to 32ounces, with 18 to 24 ounces for the blended beverage, and 10 to 16ounces for the solid food. A child size has a serving size of 18 to 22ounces. It should be noted that the beverage and food containers can besold separately and pre-filled with a variety of choices, in which casethe containers will be sealed, and the user after purchase places thecontainers into the reusable Appliance, removes the seals, attaches theAppliance Lid, and is then ready to enjoy the snack. It should also benoted that the embodiments have so far described the use of a dry snackwith a cold beverage, however, it is understood that the Appliance mayalso be used with a warm or hot beverage, with the correct alterationsand material considerations. For example, if the material of the cup ismade of metal or high temperature resistant plastic, for example asshown in FIG. 16 and FIG. 15F, the cup will be suitable for hot liquids.Also for example, the straw made of a more heat tolerant material suchas polypropylene, or thicker vegetable-based plastic, or a metal. Itshould be noted that the embodiments have described a self-sealing sipvalve of the straw, however the beverage can be withdrawn in other ways.For example, when the appliance is tilted to dispense the dry snack, thebottom of the straw and container can be arranged such that the beveragemay be absent at the location of the bottom tip of the straw, in whichcase the beverage will not enter the straw and leak out the top of thestraw. Or, a reusable rubber bite valve can be used. Or, a ball-stylevalve, or a duck-bill valve can be used. Or, the user can simply pinchthe straw when they are tilting the Appliance to dispense the dry snack.The embodiments describe the dry snack dispensing spout being preferablyraised, however, the spout need not be raised, for example if the spoutis on the very edge of an aspect of the Appliance.

The Appliance is to be available in multiple sizes, typically a child'ssize, and an adolescent-adult size, of around 19 ounces and 26 ouncestotal volume respectively. The ratio of milk to cereal is typically inthe range of 1.0:1.4 to 1.0:1.6. The child size Appliance is perfect forchild's snack or meal, with the milk side of the Appliance accommodatinga standard 8 ounce milk carton common at schools, in which case thechild can bring the Appliance to school with the cereal side prefilledwith cereal, obtain the milk carton at school, pour the cold fresh milkto the milk side of the Appliance, then eat the meal while playing atlunch time or during recess.

In the foregoing descriptions of variations of the invention, it shouldbe noted that functional elements from different embodiments can becombined together in into the Appliance and need not be associated withonly the embodiment in which the element is shown. In addition, someembodiments may be absent from a particular appliance, for example andnon-limiting, while the dry food dispensing spout is typically describedas being raised, it may not be raised, for example, if it is disposedalong the edge of the Appliance, most of the main objectives of theAppliance are still met.

The functional elements of the Appliance described in the foregoing havesignificant advantages over the prior art. For example, in U.S. Pat. No.6,264,068 an Appliance is described which is very difficult to refill,and is prone to milk spillage when the Appliance is being transported.Also dispensing the cereal is cumbersome and the user's nose is going tobump against the Appliance. In U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,913,777 and 7,063,229Appliances are described which dispense the milk and cerealsimultaneously, which is not desirable as it is impractical to controlthe portions to the liking of the user. Also, the U.S. Pat. No.7,063,229 Appliance exposes the milk to the outside surface of thecereal container which may be soiled from handling. In U.S. Pat. No.8,485,378 the Appliance requires mixing of the milk and cereal prior todispensing the contents into one's mouth, which will make the cerealsoggy and ruin its motility and freshness as the consumption of thesnack progresses. The Prior Art known as “Hydra Cup” cannot be used fora milk and cereal snack because it lacks means to dispense milk andcereal properly, safely, neatly and ergonomically, and the wall thatseparates the two compartments, which is configured for moldability,will allow spilling of milk into the cereal compartment as thisfunctional characteristic was not a consideration. The Prior Art“Snackeez” is in a completely different category than the Appliance inthe present invention. With Snackeez, (1) the user must dispense thefood using one's fingers, (2) the outside of the food cup is handledduring preparation which later contacts and contaminates the beverage,(3) the beverage can be overfilled causing a mess when attaching thesnack cup, and (4) it must be kept upright to prevent spillage andleakage, thus precluding clean, one-hand, mess-free, safe operation asin the present invention.

FIG. 1: A multi-compartment dry food and beverage storage and dispensingAppliance for separating and preventing the mixing of a dry food and aliquid beverage while stored in the Appliance, and for non-simultaneousdispensing of the dry food and liquid, the Appliance intended for singleuse, comprising a substantially circular and substantially conical outercup, a substantially semi-circular inner cup, an outer cup lid, and aninner cup lid, is described wherein (1) the outer cup comprises (a) astep along the cup wall creating a shelf on the inside of the cup, and(b) a lip at the outside of the top of the cup; and wherein (2) theinner cup comprises (a) a circular section of not less than a 180degrees arc angle and of a diameter generally matching the circle of theouter cup, (b) a conical angle generally matching the conical angle ofthe outer cup, (c) a non-circular section joining the ends of thecircular section, the joining of which is defined by substantiallyrounded corners, (d) a step along the cup wall circular sectiongenerally matching the shelf on the inside of the outer cup, (e) a lipat the outside of the top of the cup; and wherein the (3) the outer cuplid comprises (a) a pocket engage-able with the outer cup lip, (b) araised spout with a through hole, and (c) a place for a second throughhole; and wherein (4) the inner cup lid comprises (a) a pocketengage-able with the inner cup lip, and (b) a through hole align-ablewith the outer cup lid second through hole; and further wherein (5) thedistance between the inside bottom of the outer cup and bottom of theouter cup lid when attached to the outer cup define a first length, andthe distance between the outside bottom of the inner cup and the top ofthe inner cup lid when attached to the inner cup define a second length,wherein the first and second length are substantially equal.

FIGS. 4, 12, 13, 14, 16: A multi-compartment dry food and beveragestorage and dispensing Appliance for separating and preventing themixing of a dry food and a liquid beverage while stored in theAppliance, and for non-simultaneous dispensing of the dry food andliquid is described, the Appliance comprising a bottom cup and a lidengage-able with the cup, wherein the cup comprises (1) an inner skinand (2) an outer skin separated from the inner skin without touching theinner skin in at least a portion of the area of the inner skin, (3) awall separating the cup into a first and second compartment, the top ofthe wall extending higher than the perimeter of the top rim of firstcompartment, and wherein the lid comprises (1) a raised spout with athrough hole, a second through hole, and a seal to engage with a sealthe complete perimeter of the second compartment, and further whereinwhen the lid and cup comprise connection features to securely engage thelid to the cup, and when engaged, the spout through hole aligns with thefirst compartment and the second through hole aligns with the secondcompartment. The seal may be a gasket adapted to engage the top of thewall and the rim of the top of the second compartment. The Lid maycomprise a top section which comprises the spout and second throughhole, and a second section rotatably connected to the top section, therotatable section comprising a first connection means, and the cupcomprising a second connection means mated to the first connectionmeans, and wherein the connection means is selected from the group of: abayonet connection with a peg protruding from the side of the cup and amating slot in the rotatable section; mating threads; magnets; snap andgroove. The lid bottom may comprise a track adapted to be placed insidethe rim at the top of the second compartment seal, and the seal is afirst gasket encircling the inside of the track, and wherein whenattached to the cup the lid seal first gasket provides the secureconnection and a fluidic seal around the complete top rim of the secondcompartment. The cup may comprise a snap ring at the outside top of thecup, and the lid comprises a snap socket at the inside of the lid, thesnap socket engageable to the snap ring to make the secure connection.The Appliance may comprise a digital code, the code coded to providecommerce applications such as but not limited to: payment, ordering,tracking, inventory management, predictive algorithms, advertising,logistics.

FIGS. 7, 8: A multi-compartment dry food and beverage storage anddispensing Appliance for separating and preventing the mixing of a dryfood and a liquid beverage while stored in the Appliance, and fornon-simultaneous dispensing of the dry food and liquid is described, theAppliance comprising a first and second compartment, the twocompartments fabricated from at least one sheet of material, the atleast one sheet folded and joined into at least one generally box shapedcontainer, and wherein the first compartment includes a spout with athrough hole, and a cap that closes the spout through hole, and whereinthe second compartment comprises a through hole with a temporaryclosure, the temporary closure open-able from one of the following: alaminate, a perforate-able cover, a plug, a cap. The Appliance maycomprise at least two sheets of material, a first sheet folded andjoined to form a first compartment and a second sheet folded and joinedto form a second compartment, the first and second compartment joined byone of the following: welded, glued, fused, joined by wrapping. The atleast one sheet of material may be folded and joined to form the firstand second compartment, the first and second compartments fluidicallysealed from each other by one of the following: a weld, glue, fusion.The sheet material may be selected from the group of: paper, aplant-based pulp product, plastic, metal film, a composite comprisingone or more of the group of materials. The sheet material may be amulti-layer material, with one outermost layer comprising aliquid-resistant material, and wherein the folding pattern creating thetwo compartments is configured to place the liquid-resistant material onthe inside of the compartment with the second through hole.

FIGS. 9, 10: A dry food and beverage storage and dispensing Appliancefor separating and preventing the mixing of a dry food and a liquidbeverage while stored in the Appliance, and for non-simultaneousdispensing of the dry food and liquid is described, the Appliancecomprising a first and second compartment, the two compartmentsfabricated by plastic, shaped and glued or welded into a generally boxor cupped shaped container with the first and second compartment, andwherein the first compartment includes a spout with a through hole, anda cap that closes the spout through hole, and wherein the secondcompartment comprises a semi-permanently closed through hole.

A dry food and beverage storage and dispensing Appliance for separatingand preventing the mixing of a dry food and a liquid beverage whilestored in the Appliance, and for non-simultaneous dispensing of the dryfood and liquid is described, and may comprise: (a) A Container with aclosed bottom and open top, and comprising: A rim around the open top,part of the rim at a first height, A septum intersecting the Containerfrom bottom to top, defining a first and second compartment separated bythe septum, the septum transitioning to a wall raising above the top ofthe rim of the container, the wall having (1) a left and right corner,and (2) a top between the left and right corners at a second heightabove the rim first height, A left and right ramp connecting the top ofthe wall second height to the rim first height of the first compartment,(b) A Lid with a top surface and a bottom surface, and comprising: Aseal element on the bottom surface, the seal element adapted to makecontiguous contact with the top of the container wall, the left andright ramp, and the rim of the first compartment, A first and secondside, the first side defined by the area inside the perimeter of thebottom surface seal element, A food spout defined by an opening in theLid second side, the perimeter of the opening including a raised rimextending a distance from the Lid the top surface, A moveable Door inthe second side on the bottom surface, adapted to close and open thefood spout opening, An opening through the first side, (c) A Straw andValve assembly adapted to pass through the Lid first side opening andextending a distance from the Lid top surface; (d) A connection means toconnect the Lid and Container together.

A business process of providing a meal to a consumer is described, theprocess consisting of: (1) providing to the consumer a container adaptedto (a) store and consume a meal consisting of a solid dry food and abeverage, (b) store the solid food and beverage separately, and (c)dispense the solid food and beverage separately and non-simultaneously;(2) providing a beverage; (3) providing a solid dry food; and (4) either(a) filling either the food or the beverage or both into the containerbefore time of purchase or before point of service, or (b) providing themeans for filling the container with the beverage or the food or both,at or after or before the time of purchase or point of service. Thebusiness process may further consist of providing a readable electroniccode on the container that the consumer or business can scan to orderand/or pay for the meal, and for the business to manage logisticsassociated with the customer's order, and to support collateral businessfunction.

1. A dry food and beverage storage and dispensing appliance forseparating and preventing the mixing of a dry food and a liquid beveragewhile stored in the appliance, and for non-simultaneous dispensing ofthe dry food and liquid is described, comprising: 1) a container with aclosed bottom and open top, and comprising: a) a rim around the opentop, part of the rim at a first height, b) a septum intersecting thecontainer from bottom to top, defining a first and second compartmentseparated by the septum, the septum transitioning to a wall raisingabove the top of the rim of the container, the wall having (1) a leftand right corner, and (2) a top between the left and right corners at asecond height above the rim first height, c) a left and right rampconnecting the wall second height at the left and right corner to therim first height of the first compartment; 2) a lid with a top surfaceand a bottom surface, and comprising: a) a seal element on the bottomsurface, the seal element adapted to make contiguous contact with thetop of the container wall, the left and right ramp, and the rim of thefirst compartment, b) a first and second side, the first side defined bythe area inside the perimeter of the bottom surface seal element, c) afood spout defined by an opening in the lid second side, the perimeterof the opening including a raised rim extending a distance from the lidthe top surface, d) a moveable door in the second side on the bottomsurface, adapted to close and open the food spout opening, e) an openingthrough the first side; 3) a straw and valve assembly adapted to passthrough the lid first side opening and extending a distance from the lidtop surface; 4) a connection means to connect the lid and containertogether.
 2. An appliance as in claim 1 wherein the perimeter of thecontainer from the bottom of the container to the top of the containerincludes at least one portion that comprises an inner wall and an outerwall, and an empty space between the inner and outer walls.
 3. Anappliance as in claim 1 wherein the food spout is substantially ovalshaped, with the long axis of the oval between 1.375 inches to 1.625inches and the short axis of the oval is between 1.125 inches to 1.375inches.
 4. An appliance as in claim 1 wherein the food spout height isvariable, with a top height of 0.5 inches to 0.75 inches and a lowestheight of 0.3125 inches to 0.5625 inches.
 5. An appliance as in claim 1wherein the appliance is available in more than one size, with theinternal volume of the first compartment plus the second compartment isfor a first size 18 to 22 ounces and for a second size 26 to 32 ounces.6. An appliance as in claim 1 wherein the first and second compartmentare in the volumetric ratio range of 1:1.4 respectively to 1:1.6respectively.
 7. An appliance as in claim 1 wherein at least one of thelid or the bottom includes on its outer surface a substantiallypermanent and indelible electronically readable code substantiallyunique to each individual appliance sold, the code enabling theappliance to be used in a business process, wherein: a user of theappliance brings the appliance to a business, the business reads theelectronic code, the business possesses a database into which the codeis read to identify the user, and the database takes care of at leastone aspect of serving the customer for having the appliance filled witha food and a beverage, the serving including but not limited to billinginformation or customer preferences.
 8. A dry food and beverage storageand dispensing appliance for separating and preventing the mixing of adry food and a liquid beverage while stored in the appliance, and fornon-simultaneous dispensing of the dry food and liquid is described,comprising: (1) a substantially circular outer cup with a first innerdiameter, and a first rim around the top; (2) a substantiallysemi-circular inner cup, the semi-circle comprising an included angle ofmore than 180 degrees, and with a first outer diameter substantiallymatching the first inner diameter and not to exceed the first innerdiameter, and with a second rim around the top; (3) a second lidengageable with a seal to the top rim of the inner cup; (4) a first lidengageable with a lock to the top of the outer cup; (5) a raised spoutin the first lid aligned with the area in the outer cup that is outsideof the area occupied by the inner cup when the inner cup is placed inthe outer cup and when the first lid is attached; (6) a first throughhole in the first lid and a second through hole in the second lid, thefirst and second through hole aligned with each other when the cups andlids are attached; and (7) a straw through the through holes.
 9. A dryfood and beverage storage and dispensing appliance for separating andpreventing the mixing of a dry food and a liquid beverage while storedin the appliance, and for non-simultaneous dispensing of the dry foodand liquid is described, comprising: (1) a container with a closedbottom and open top comprising, (a) a septum separating the inside ofthe container into a first compartment and second compartment, (b) a rimaround the open top of the first compartment and around the top of thesecond compartment, and (c) a first connection means; (2) a lid with atop and bottom surface and separated into two sections, and comprising,(a) a seal element on the bottom surface first section adapted to makecontact with the rim around the top of the first compartment, (b) araised spout through the lid in the second section, (c) a hole throughthe lid in the first section, and (d) a second connection meansconnectable to the first connection means; and further wherein thecontainer's perimeter in at least a portion of the first compartmentcomprises an inner wall and an outer wall and a space between the innerand outer wall, and further wherein the appliance includes somewhere onits outer surface an indelible and substantially permanentelectronically readable code.